Why you should measure health data and track progress long term

When the siren blares and you're flung into the heart of the action, you know your work as a first responder is not for the faint-hearted. It's a world that thrives on adrenaline, quick thinking, and an unwavering commitment to saving lives. But this high-stress environment comes at a cost. The toll it takes on your physical and mental health cannot be ignored. Long hours, traumatic experiences, and the constant need to remain vigilant can leave you feeling drained and fatigued.

The challenges you face on the job are immense, and the effects can linger long after the sirens have faded. Monitoring your health data and tracking changes in trends over time are crucial tools to help you still perform at a high level without sacrificing your health. They provide you with clear benchmarks of your sleep and recovery, enabling you to make necessary adjustments to ensure you're always ready to respond.

The importance of using a wearable to track heart health and sleep data to assess autonomic nervous system function

A wearable device, like the Biostrap Kairos you have access to via the SFR120 Programme, is a powerful tool that can help you monitor your heart health, sleep data, and rate of recovery along with the balance of your autonomic nervous system. But why is this important?

Your autonomic nervous system controls your body's involuntary functions, such as heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and more. It's constantly working to keep your body balanced and functioning optimally. However, the stress and demands of your job as a first responder can strain your autonomic nervous system, leading to issues like cardiovascular disease, sleep disorders, and even mental health problems.

By using a wearable to track your heart health and sleep data, you can identify any maladaptive trends that might indicate your autonomic nervous system is under stress. For example, a consistently high resting heart rate, a decline in your heart rate variability, or poor sleep quality could be signs that you need to make some changes to your lifestyle or work routine.

How monitoring data helps to improve health, recovery, and performance

Monitoring your health and sleep data not only helps you assess your autonomic nervous system function, but also aids in improving your overall health, recovery, and performance. 

You’ll have precise data about how your body responds to your daily actions, environment and stress you are exposed to. With that information at hand, you can begin to make informed decisions about your training, nutrition, and recovery strategies to achieve optimal health. For example, if your sleep data shows you're not getting enough deep sleep or you wake up too many times during the night, you might need to adjust your sleep habits or environment to improve your sleep quality.

Additionally, tracking heart rate variability helps you identify patterns and trends that can predict your performance and recovery capacity. For instance, if you notice that your HRV tends to drop after a particularly stressful shift, you can use this information to adjust your recovery strategies and be extra careful about how you unwind after the shift is over.

For example, winding down with processed foods while watching the news on television late at night, might sound relaxing, but you’d be surprised to see that it may put extra stress on your nervous system. Try mindfulness practices and deep breathing strategies as these have been shown to have a positive impact on HRV and the ANS.

Once you start connecting the dots as to what habits help you and which ones don’t, you may find it quite motivating to maintain healthy ones. Seeing the positive impact of a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep on your physical condition can encourage you to stick to these habits, leading to improved health, recovery, and performance in the long term.

You can only manage what you measure

There's a popular saying in the world of health optimisation: "You can't manage what you don't measure." But what does this mean, and how does it apply to you as a first responder?

It emphasises the importance of tracking and measuring health metrics to manage and improve it effectively. Without concrete data, it's challenging to identify areas of strength and weakness, set realistic goals, or make informed decisions.

As a first responder, your performance is not just about how quickly you can put out a fire or how many lives you can save. It's also about how efficiently you can recover from a stressful incident, how well you can maintain your physical and mental health, and how effectively you can prepare yourself for the next day. By measuring and tracking sleep, recovery, and ANS balance, you can manage them more effectively, leading to improved health, and physical and cognitive performance

What’s the best way to track progress?

Tracking progress is not a one-time task. It's a continuous process that requires consistency and patience. To track your health and performance effectively, you should focus on key metrics such as HRV trends, sleep trends, and resting heart rate trends. These metrics provide valuable insights into your autonomic nervous system function, recovery capacity, and overall health.

Daily tracking allows you to identify short-term impact. For example, a sudden drop in your nocturnal HRV or a spike in your resting heart rate could indicate acute stress, which may prompt you to double down on recovery strategies the next day. 

However, a single occurrence of a sudden drop in your nocturnal HRV, a spike in your resting heart rate, or a low Recovery Score is not the end of the world. It's essential to recognise that our bodies naturally fluctuate in response to various stimuli, both internal and external. Factors such as a stressful day at work, lack of sleep, or even a strenuous workout session can temporarily impact our ANS balance.

Understanding that occasional deviations from your baseline are normal helps to prevent unnecessary stress and anxiety about minor fluctuations in your physiological metrics. Instead of viewing these isolated incidents as red flags, it's more constructive to use them as opportunities for reflection and adjustment.

Moreover, by maintaining a consistent tracking routine, you gain a broader perspective on your ANS balance. A single occurrence does not define your overall well-being. It's the long-term trends and patterns that provide valuable insights into your physiological resilience and stress management capabilities.

Consistency in tracking allows you to contextualise these isolated incidents within the larger framework of your daily habits, lifestyle choices, and environmental factors. It empowers you to discern between short-term fluctuations and persistent imbalances that may warrant closer attention and intervention.

For instance, if your sleep quality consistently deteriorates over several weeks or months, it could indicate chronic stress, poor sleep habits, or even an underlying health condition.

In essence, while a single occurrence of ANS imbalance may catch your attention, it's important to maintain perspective and focus on the bigger picture. By adopting a proactive approach to monitoring and managing your ANS, you can navigate the inevitable ups and downs of life with resilience and confidence.

Remember, tracking progress is not about obsessing over every single data point. It's about understanding your body, recognising your limits, and making informed decisions to optimise your performance and health.